When energy policy in the US is discussed and presented, it usually contains con

Question

When energy policy in the US is discussed and presented, it usually contains considerable details organized by short term and long term “big ideas”. In addition, after reading the lengthy energy policy documents, plans or proposals often contain three main components to the discussion of these ideas put forth: • Energy Independence • Reducing Carbon Emissions • Energy Conservation In this assignment, you need to rank these 3 components in the order in which they are most important to you. You may use our discussion in class and information in your textbook to spark your initial ideas. However, I would also like you to utilize the US Energy Information Administration’s website to dig for more information. A good place to begin is in the “Energy in Brief” section, listed below.

http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/index.cfm

In your write up, be sure to back up your statements with information from class, your book or this website. For example, if energy independence is the most important aspect in your mind, you may mention how much of our energy is produced domestically. What were the sources of this (Coal? Natural gas?) If carbon emissions is more important to you, you may want to site some information from the greenhouse gas or cap and trade articles on the website. Be sure that in your writing, you include some information regarding why you ranked each of these components where you did. You are NOT being graded on your opinion. Your grade for this assignment will be based on spelling, grammar and completeness of your thoughts.

Explanation / Answer

For me the three ideas are all very important. But if we are to rank them, I would rank the ideas as:

1. Energy conservation 2. Reducing Carbon Emissions 3. Energy Independence

This is so because our sources of Energy in today's age are mainly non renewable like petroleum, coal or natural gas. So if don't conserve them, we will run out of our major sources of energy and this will halt the growth and running of our complete human endeavor.

Also these non renewable sources are limited, so we need to first take major steps to conserve them, rather than reducing carbon emissions or being energy independent.

Fact: As per the US Energy Information Administration’s website ,

May 5, 2016

U.S. power plants used renewable energy sources, including water, wind, biomass wood and waste, geothermal, and solar, to generate about 13% of the electricity produced in the United States during 2015

So from the fact above it is clear that non renewable sources fulfil our major energy demands.

2. Reducing carbon emissions: It is more important to reduce carbon emissions rather than being energy independent because, such emissions are increasing the health hazards and affecting our environment negatively.

So I feel that we should pay more attention to it, because 'energy independence' is more of a financial idea and 'carbon emissions' is related to the health of human civilization and eco system balance.

Fact:As per the US Energy Information Administration’s website ,

Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun and warm the planet's surface. Most U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are related to energy production and consumption. Most of those emissions are carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels. From 1990 to 2014, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the United States increased on average by about 0.3% per year.

3. Energy Independence: From an economic point of view, Energy Independence means energy security (supply and price stability); an objective that can be achieved through the development of alternative transportation fuels and multi-fuel vehicles (including electric).

Fact:As per the US Energy Information Administration’s website ,

May 10, 2013

The United States relied on net imports (imports minus exports) for about 40% of the petroleum (crude oil and petroleum products) that we consumed in 2012. Just over half of these imports came from the Western Hemisphere. Our dependence on foreign petroleum has declined since peaking in 2005

The most direct way to reduce our dependency on foreign oil is to simply use less of it, starting with the cars and trucks we drive. Nearly 70 percent of our oil use is for transportation, and more than 65 percent of that amount is for personal vehicles. Energy independence means changing how we power our cars and trucks from foreign oil to new American-made fuels and batteries.

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